The Knuckle Buckle
by Siren Duveil
Summary: Time shouldn't be played with, but that isn't learned until a baby Harry is taken back in time by a naive wizard. Consequences and the need to fulfill destinies arise. Reviews welcome!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I own a bit, but not Harry Potter and Co.! Just in case that is important to you and whatnot...

* * *

**Prologue: As the Moon Flies By, a Boy is Found**

The door to the small room flew open. "Ah, please don't do this, Julien," a pleading voice called from behind the man. Turning around, Julien saw a cloaked form panting, his face hidden in the shadow of the cloak.

"Aaron?"

"Julien, please, don't do this," Aaron repeated. "You- you don't know what can happen!" Julien placed his hand on Aaron's shoulder. Aaron felt a slight shiver. No comfort would get rid of his fear for what Julien was about to do.

"Don't worry, Aaron. Everything will be fine. Just imagine the good that can come out of this! Just...just imagine..." Julien trailed off dreamily, turning back to the bowl of swirling sands and light. "I'll see you soon, friend." And with that, the light grew brighter and spread to Julien, his hands grasping the bowl.

The light grew too bright for Aaron's eyes, and he started shaking. Without warning, the light suddenly disappeared. Opening his eyes, Aaron saw that Julien had disappeared with them. "Julien," Aaron called out in a whisper.

What couldn't have been more than half a minute later, Julien opened his eyes to the night. Where had time taken him? Julien turned around to find a small hole of light that might have snugly held his finger. He was going back through that?

Looking around, Julien felt the darkness pressing in on a scene of destruction. There was screaming, and a few people were running to the house in front of him. From far off, he thought he heard a roarign sound approaching. Even amidst apparent death, Julien felt ecstatic. He'd accomplished time travel. He was in the future. It seemed to be the somewhat near future, but future nonetheless.

It was then that Julien heard the cry. There was a child alive in the house, it seemed, wailing. Julien had always held a place for children in his heart- their wellbeing would become one of his top priorities, even though they weren't his children. Julien crept closer to what seemed to be the back of the house, and found backdoor slowly opening and closing in the breeze. He opened the door and peered inside, amazed at the small trinkets lying here and there that he'd never seen before.

The wailing was still going on- it was one long scream after another, helping Julien find the child with the noise. His eyes fell upon the small baby, taking in the unusual mark that looked freshly-put on his forehead. "What did they do to you," he whispered gently to the baby while he took him in his arms. He made gentle calming noises as he rocked the baby, his hand feeling the fair black hair and curve of the baby's cheek.

What was the baby's name? Looking around without knowing what he was really looking for, Julien found a small white blanket. Picking it up, he found, written in light blue thread in a corner, the name Harry. The boy was already falling asleep in Julien's arms, weary from his cries. Julien wrapped him in his blanket and looked around the house in wonder.

He was taking the baby back. His reasoning was that his parents were obviously dead, and he needed to be cared for. The roaring had grown louder, and was accompanied by a strong, booming voice telling the few people that had started gathering to go back home. Julien quickly made his way out the backdoor, leaving it slightly open the way it had been when he'd come. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the small hole was still there.

Slightly hesitant, Julien put his index finger out, as if he was pointing at the hole. It instantly grew and enveloped both him and the baby in the same light as before. Take us back, Julien commanded, muttering a small incantation while still looking at the child named Harry. The baby's eyes closed tighter in his sleep, trying to fight out the light. Julien closed his eyes as well, and soon they were both back in front of the bowl.

Aaron had been waiting in a chair for Julien to come back, anticipation and fear fighting for dominance inside of him. He looked up to see a small hole of light grow bigger, and then Julien was there, his back to Aaron in the same position he'd been when he'd left. "Julien!"

Julien turned around, and Aaron let out a gasp when he saw the small child wrapped in a blanket in Julien's arms. "What...who is that?" He pointed with his eyes at the baby.

"This is Harry," Julien replied quietly. "And he's to be treated like mine now."

"Julien," Aaron cried out in dismay. "Why? Why did you bring him?"

"His parents were dead, and I wasn't going to leave him. I'm going to take care of him." He saw the fear in the other man's eyes. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright, brother," he said consolingly, taking a step towards Aaron.

Aaron looked down at the child, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips. Such a beautiful baby, he thought as he traced cheeks and eyebrows. Still...the thought of where the baby came from scared him. Julien said everything would be alright, but Aaron still couldn't get rid of the feeling of dread deep in the pit of his stomach.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The pains of a 'Father' and boy before his time**

This time it will work, he told himself. This time, it has to work; things are getting worse... So many times had this been repeated in his head- with each try, the words would run through his mind, his sense of urgency steadily increasing. Each time, he would try, and each time it would fail. Each and every time.

Except for the first time.

If only it hadn't worked the first time, he thought. If only every time it had been a failure, maybe he wouldn't be trying to fix it all now. The man shook his head. These 'if only's' were what got him in this hellhole in the first place. He brought his attention back to the here-and-now, looking down at the bowl of failure. He muttered words under his breath, the magic whispers softly stirring the sands as he poured in more.

The whispers momentarily caught in his throat as a soft light enveloped the sands in the bowl. Was it going to work this time? He hoped against hope that the light would stay, grow, envelope him as well, like it had the first time. Was he finally going to be able to fix everything? Then, just as the man was about to close his eyes and continue with the incantation, the light started fading. He let out a fierce growl, the burn of frustration spreading from his chest to the rest of his body. He picked up the bowl and threw it against the wall, already knowing that all he'd accomplished was to throw the sands everywhere- the bowl was indestructible.

"Father?"

The man wheeled around, surprised by the boy in the doorway. How long had he been there? "Yes, Harry?"

"Are you alright? I heard a crash, and you yelling... Oh, it didn't work again," the boy said. His green eyes looked upon the mess of sand and the bowl lying next to them, before looking up at his father's hazel eyes. Harry didn't really know what his father was doing, as he'd never explained it to the boy, but Harry knew he'd been trying to successfully do the experiment for years and years.

"No, Harry. It didn't work." His father sighed as his shoulders lost the tension of frustration. This boy was a constant reminder of his failure. That's not to say he didn't care for the boy, but everything had to be made right... Even if that meant losing the boy. Harry should never have been his to care for. The sense of failure was mounting again, giving the man energy to try again. He turned away from Harry and bent to sweep the sands in a pile, turning the bowl right side up again.

"Harry? Ah, there you are. Julien? No success?" Julien looked over to see Maude, one of the people who took care of Harry, behind the boy. "You should eat something, Julien. It's already evening- have you eaten anything today?"

Julien sighed. "Alright. Is food ready?" Maude nodded, and Julien joined her and the boy out in the hallway. Together they walked to the dining room for their meal.

"So has Harry told you about his lesson today, Julien?" Maude asked, a smirk on her thin lips. Julien cocked an eyebrow at Harry.

"Well, do you remember that boy that used to live close by? They moved after Aaron...um...I'm sorry," Harry said, faltering at the mention of his uncle. He knew his father had never really gotten over it.

"It's alright, Harry," Julien said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder warmly. Harry continued, but Julien didn't really hear. In all truth, it wasn't really alright yet. Aaron's death had been the worst of it all so far. Slowly, bad things started happening to Julien and those he held close to his heart. Then the seer had prophesized for him, and he still had the prophecy written down, though he'd already memorized it; 'The consequences of your interference with the future shall rain upon you, numerous and full of sorrow, until destinies have been fulfilled...'

Julien looked down at Harry. For seven years the boy had lived with him, and now he feared Harry was going to be hurt because of his own curiosity. Never should he have meddled with time... Harry was giving Julien a look. Julien smiled and shook his head, and Harry smiled back. Harry still had the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, though Julien had attempted to get rid of it many times.

Julien, Harry, and the others that lived with them in the large mansion they called home, sat to eat their meal. Many chatted quietly with those surrounding them, but Harry and Julien ate in silence. Harry watched as his father ate, his long, thin fingers holding the fork.

Harry knew Julien wasn't his real father, for since he was old enough to understand Julien had made sure not to keep that from him. He didn't want to completely lie to the boy he'd considered a son; he couldn't tell him that he was taken from the future, though. The same way Julien considered Harry a son, Harry saw Julien as his father. He smiled at Julien when he looked up, and Julien's face broke into a smile as well.

Soon, Julien was putting Harry in bed. This was one of the very few moments Julien spent with the boy now, but they enjoyed it fully. In bed, snuggled in the covers, Harry smiled at Julien. "Good night, Harry," Julien whispered, bending down to kiss the boy on the forehead, next to the scar. Harry closed his eyes and curled up in the covers.

Julien went to his own room, and looked at himself in a mirror. He still didn't really feel thirty-eight. Aaron had always told Julien his soul was younger than his body. Aaron... Julien shook his head, still looking at the reflection of his thin face. If he hadn't told Harry that he wasn't really his father, the boy would have started noting the difference in looks by now. Part of Julien still wanted Harry to stay with him, but he knew things would only get worse if he did...

Or would they? What if this was all part of that Master Plan that made Aaron petrified of the thought of Julien traveling through time? What if... Once again Julien shook his head. These were probably just illogical reasons he was trying to grasp in an attempt to keep Harry his.

That night, Harry had a dream of green flashes and screaming, and woke up crying out for his mother. He was confused and scared, and soon Maude came in. Still Harry cried, for he knew Maude wasn't his mother, and that was who he wanted. He continued to cry for his mother, but quieted when Julien came in. Silent tears still fell as he sat in Julien's lap, his head leaning on his chest. Harry explained his dream in a shaky voice as Julien nodded.

He wasn't going to tell the boy that it was of the night his parents died. "It's over now," Julien consoled. "There's no need for tears now." He tucked the boy in once more, and this time he stayed asleep.

The next day, Harry went out to the village with Maude and Daniel, his teacher. They were going to the candy shop while Daniel bought books, and then to the park. At the park, Harry sat in a swing eating his candy. He saw a boy older than him looking down at the pond close by, a scowl on his face. Harry walked over to the boy, wanting to see what he was scowling at.

When he looked down at the pond though, all he saw was the other boy's reflection. He looked up at the older boy, confused. Maybe he didn't like how he looked? "You don't look bad," Harry said timidly. The boy turned his scowl to Harry, who took a few steps back. The boy was older, and could probably do something unpleasant to Harry if he wanted.

"You're not from the orphanage," the boy said, his scowl slightly softened. "You don't know who I look like," the boy replied broodingly.

"I don't know who I look like," Harry said back. It was the first time he'd ever mentioned his not having parents to somebody that didn't already know.

The boy looked at Harry. "You're an orphan?" Harry nodded. The scowl still hadn't left the boy's face, but Harry timidly asked him what his name was. "Tom," he said, his voice sounding angry and harsh and like he'd spit out the name.

"My name's Harry," he said, though the boy hadn't asked. "How old are you?"

"Older than you," the boy replied angrily. He looked down at Harry, though, and said in a softer voice, still cold, "Fifteen."

"I'm seven," Harry said quietly. He looked down at the pond as Tom looked over it.

He heard Tom mutter something, and looked up to see that an old woman was motioning for him to come. He thought he heard Tom say 'muddle' or 'smuggle'. Tom's face was full of anger, but once again it kind of softened when he looked at Harry. "Well, goodbye, Harry," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. Without even looking at the young boy, Tom walked off to join the old woman.

Harry walked back to the swings and returned his attention to his candy. "Oh Harry," Maude said crossly when she walked up to Harry. "Your hands are all sticky now."


	3. Chapter 2

"Julien," Maude called down the hall. Julien heard his name and poked his head out from one of the doorways. "Julien, he's turning in his bed again." Maude was about to burst into tears, and Julien could tell.

"Gods," he muttered under his breath, following her down the hall.

People were screaming again, and Harry could feel his own tears falling down to his chin. "Please stop screaming," he whispered softly. He was trembling, and he could hear a woman call out a name shrilly. This left Harry cold inside, and he could feel sobs choking to get out of his throat. "Please stop," he tried to call out, but he could only sob.

"Harry," a voice was calling out. Harry was trying desperately to see where the voice was coming from. Hands took hold of Harry's shoulders, gently shaking him out of sleep. Somebody in Harry's dream was laughing, but it was growing fainter as Harry woke up. His eyes opened to find Julien sitting over him. "Another bad dream?" Julien's voice was full of sadness and sympathy.

Harry nodded, his hand going up to his forehead. He thought he felt a wiggling pain under his scar, but as he kept rubbing it, the feeling went away. Julien noted this. "Are you feeling better," he asked the sniffling boy.

"Yeah," Harry replied meekly. It wasn't quite as hard to get over the nightmare now, after countless occasions of having the same sort of dream almost every night. Harry looked over Julien's shoulder and saw Maude. At the sight of the woman looking at him in concern, Harry hastily wiped away the tears that were running down his face.

"Oh Harry," Maude said exasperatedly. "It's alright to cry."

"No, it's not," Harry replied indignantly. "I'm nine years old, now, which is- which is practically grown up." He gave one more sniffle while Julien and Maude shook with silent laughter.

"Yes, practically grown up," Julien replied sarcastically, ruffling the boy's already messy hair. "We-ell, it's time for this practically grown up boy to get back to sleep. Will you be alright, Harry?" Julien gave the boy a concerned look.

Harry had already started falling asleep again. He merely nodded, letting his head fall back on to his pillow. Julien kissed him on the forehead, and stood to rise with Maude. They both exited and left Harry to dream once again. This time, though, instead of falling asleep to better dreams after the nightmare, Harry once again found himself amidst the cold laughter. He wasn't exactly scared this time, though- merely curious. He cautiously looked around, trying to find the source of the icy voice.

Once again there was a burst of shrill laughter, followed by small bouts of less sure laughter. Harry turned around to find a man- rather a teenage boy almost a man- sitting, surrounded by kneeling figures in black cloaks. "It's over," the sitting boy said. "I'm free of their horridly innocent grasp…" The boy once again laughed, louder and stronger than before, and Harry felt the wiggling pain in his scar once again.

Harry shot up in bed, his hand to his scar, but he didn't cry out for Julien or Maude. He merely sat there, his palm pressed against his mysterious scar. "I'm free," the young man had said. Harry swore he could still hear the laughter. Slowly, Harry started feeling sleepy again, and as he rested his head against the pillows, drowsy waves soon overtook him.

* * *

"So THEN, the bartender turns to the person and asks, 'Are you a man or a woman? Because either way, I'm'"-

"Daniel, if you finish that joke then I'll be forced to send you to spend the night with the bowtruckles," came Julien's stern voice from his spot at the dinner table.

"Alright, alright," Daniel replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll finish it later," he whispered in Harry's ear. Harry smiled up at Daniel and went back to eating his meal. Julien was glaring at Daniel. "Come on," Daniel implored. "This is his birthday dinner, Julien! He's eleven- he can handle a little joke…"

Harry was nodding enthusiastically as Daniel talked, when his scar started throbbing. He clapped his hand to his forehead, getting the attention of everybody at the table. "Harry?" Harry only shook his head. Suddenly the pain was gone, but Harry still felt…different. "Harry are you alright?"

"Yes," he called out. "May I be excused, please?" Harry rose from the table and made for his room. However, on his way away from the table, his knee knocked into a chair painfully. He stifled an expletive but still heard gasps behind him, followed by thuds. He turned around, curious. Everybody was standing, looking at him strangely. Harry looked around, as if he'd find the answer somewhere in the dining room.

"Oh, Harry!" Harry expected to see a shocked or offended face, but instead saw that Maude's face was full of unsuppressed glee. "Congratulations, dear." Everybody was beaming at the confused boy, though looking slightly pained.

Julien moved to Harry's side, placing an arm around his shoulders and guiding him to his room. "Harry, you haven't really been taught much about magick, have you?"

Harry looked up at Julien as they walked. "Well, Daniel's mentioned it a few times, and you've talked about it once or twice before."

"Yes, well, we didn't want to mention it much, just in case you didn't have it in you. It seems that we were wrong to doubt you though, Harry." Julien was beaming again.

"You mean, I did magick?" When had this happened?

"Yes, Harry! Right now, when you hit your knee! I'm so proud- we must start your training as soon as morning comes." They'd arrived at the door to Harry's room. Julien stayed in the doorway while Harry walked in.

"Is there a certain place I go to learn more magick?"

Julien's face seemed to darken when he heard Harry's question. "No, Harry. Maude, Daniel and I are going to teach you. However, it'd be best if you didn't mention this to anybody else. Many of those living with us are muggles. Non-magical folk," he explained, seeing Harry's confused face.

Harry nodded, turning to his bed. He turned back, however, when he thought of one more question to ask. "Oh, father- What exactly did I do?"

Julien couldn't help but smile. "You caused all the chairs in the dining room to vanish. Good night, Harry. And happy birthday." With that he left a shocked but excited Harry to go to bed.

That night Harry had a dream of a big castle with all sorts of halls and stairways. Somehow he ended up in one of the hallways and witnessed a green-eyed girl pushing a boy with messy, black hair. She was yelling something, but it must have been good, for not one moment later she'd pulled the boy in for a kiss. "I think I love you, James," Harry heard the girl whisper.

When he woke up, Harry's cheeks were wet with tears.


End file.
